Panjabi MC
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Long before Timbaland and Dr. Dre started using Indian music, the English rapper, DJ and producer Panjabi MC was mixing hip hop and jungle with bhangra.
PMC (aka Rajinder Rai) was born in 1971 in Coventry, England. Ninder Johal of Nachural Records discovered him thanks to his remix of Kuldip Manak's "Ghariah Milan De". His first 12" "Rootz" was very controversial because PMC used a religious Muslim song in it. The 12" was taken off the market; but PMC continued making records. "Mundian To Bach Ke" ("Beware of the Boys") (1998; first appeared on the CD "Legalised") which mixed the theme of the TV series "Knight Rider" (already used before by Timbaland & Magoo) with bhangra was already an underground hit when German record company Superstar Recordings - thanks to downloads on the Internet - picked it up and it became a major hit in Germany and then in the rest of Europe, including the UK. A version of this recording featured the famous rapper Jay-Z. Panjabi MC is one of the pioneers of Asian/rap/dance fusion. He is very versatile, using not only hip hop but also styles like jungle (on "100% Proof"), UK garage (on "Desi"), reggae (on "Desi"). His songs have been heard around the world (even in areas where there are basically no Indians), from the US to Europe to Africa to South America.
On "Desi", Panjabi MC uses vocal samples from Ofra Haza's "Im Nin'Alu". He also used "Planet Rock" ("Pyar Wich (Planet Rock Remix)" on "Legalised") before Afrika Bambaataa recorded "Indian Planet Rock".
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Hits
- Mundian To Bach Ke - 1998/2003 (with Jay Z)
- Jogi - 2003
Discography
- Souled Out (1993, Nachural Records)
- Another Sell Out (1994, Nachural Records)
- 100% Proof (1995, Nachural Records)
- Grass Roots (1996, Nachural Records)
- Mirza Part Two (EP) (1997, Nachural Records)
- Legalised (1998, Nachural Records)
- Switchin' (EP) (2000, Moviebox)
- Dhol Jageroo Da (2001)
- Desi (2002, Moviebox)
- Indian Breaks (2003)
- Mundian To Bach Ke (2003, Compagnia Nuove Indye)
- The Album (German version: Superstar/Warner; Germany) (French version: Scorpio; France) (UK Version: Instant Karma) (2003)
- Beware (US Version of The Album) (2003, Sequence)
External links
- www.panjabi-mc.com
- www.panjabi-mc.de
- Yahoo! Music (http://music.yahoo.com/ar-298870---Panjabi-MC)
- www.mtv.com (http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/mc_panjabi/artist.jhtml)
- www.cnimusic.it/panjabimc.htm
- Yahoo Mailinglist (http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/panjabimc)
Note
Panjabi MC's name is often erroneously spelled Punjabi MC.fr:Panjabi MC